Loose-leaf handling means



March 12, 1940. A. M. MARTIN LOOSE-LEAF HANDLING MEANS File d May 1,1957 flue/Z2 07" Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l2,193,181 r a Loose-LE F HANDLING MEANS Alfred'M. Martin, Park Ridge,111. Application May, 1,1937; Serial No, 140,178

I 5 Claims. (01. 129-1) This invention relates to loose-leaf handlingmeans more particularly for loose leaves of the type referred to in myPatent No. 1,269,479 .dated June 11, 1918, and in which a number of such5 leaves or sheets are arranged in overlapping relation with their topor bottom margins exposed for visibility and are held in this relationby prongs which pass through some of the uniformly spaced perforationsalong a side margin of the leaves. Such leaves are generally arranged inbinders of the type referred to in my patent and specially constructedfor such purpose. It frequently happens, however, that it is desirableto transfer from the binder a large number of such leaves withoutdisturbing their relationship, and either for temporary purposes, or forstorage. The present invention, among other objects, aims to providimproved means for such purposes. r

The invention is inclusive of an improved transfer fork of the generaltype referred to in the Wirt Patent No. 1,546,183, dated July 14, 1925,but in this instance the fork has greater adaptability to variousbinders now in use having different prong spacing arrangements. Also thepresent improved transfer fork embodies other novel and usefulcharacteristics later herein described in detail. l

The invention is also inclusive of a housing for the transfer fork whichprevents spilling of the sheets therefrom, and which may also provide,with the fork, a permanent storage device, if

desired. a

Other objects and advantageswill be apparent from the followingdescription, taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which-Figure 1 is a plan view, parts being shown in section, of the combinedhousing and transfer fork with leaves held thereby; Figure 2 is aseparate bottom view of the transfer fork; Figure 3 is a partiallongitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and l Figure 4 isa cross-section taken on the line d -l of Fig. 1.

Referring to the illustrative construction shown in the drawing, thetransfer fork 9 comprises an elongated bar II] which is desirably ofmetal, channeled to provide somewhat upstandingedges ll along each sidethereof. Along the channeled side of the bar, that is, between theupstanding edges H, are, secured as by welding, a longitudi nallyaligned series of prongs 12, which, as here shown, are arcuate so as tocorrespond somewhat with the prongs of a loose-leaf binder. The bar alsohas therein longitudinally aligned series of apertures l3, these beinglongitudinally aligned with the bases of the prongs, but being alsosomewhat elongated transversely of the bar. As described in the Wirtpatent above referred to, the binder is opened and the prongs of thetransfer fork are inserted in the perforations in the leaves desired tobe transferred, intercalated with the prongs of the binder. patent, theapertures in the bar receive the prongs of the binder and thus avoidinterference therewith. 1

Inaccordance with the present invention, however, the prongs andapertures are not disposed at regular intervals or uniformly spacedthroughout the length of the bar, as in the said Wirt patent.Considering the distance between the centers of the prongs andaperturesas a unit of measurement along the bar, it will be noted that in somecases, that is, between some of the pairs of prongs, there are two ofthese units, between other pairs, three units, and between still otherpairs, four units. Also between some of the pairs of prongs there arethree apertures, between others only two, and between still others onlyone. However, it will be noted that there is a periodicity in the orderof spacing the prongs and apertures, for example, the first three prongs(from left to right) have each two apertures between the adjacentprongs, of the third, fourth and fifth prongs,

*the third and fourth prongs have one aperture between the prongs, andthe fourth and fifth prongs, three apertures, and this variation isrepeated throughout the length of the bar. Some periodically irregularspacing of the binder prongs is now common practice in binders of thetype referred to. The particular spacing here disclosed hasbeen found toaccommodate itself to a maximum number of various types of prongspacings common in such binders.

With the Wirt fork it was necessary to holdby,

hand the transferred leaves on the fork, but in the present invention,means are provided for this purpose. That is, in accordance with thepresent invention, the fork 9 with a stack of leaves 14 thereon, isintended to be received in the housing 15, in this case telescopically,the housing being of a-length to receive the transfer fork whollytherein, and retain it therein by manually controllable means such as areleasable detent between the fork and housing.

; For this purpose, the housing, which is formed Also as described inthat being discontinued medially to form alongitudinally extending slotI9 and leaving overhanging wall portions 20 at each side. In the presenteme bodiment, the housing is open at its right-hand end but is partiallyclosed at its left-hand end by a plate 2| riveted to the housing as at22 adjacent the overhanging wall portions 20 and leaving a space 23between it and the floor 18 of the housing.

secured at one end of the bar Ill.

It will be understood that the transfer fork 9 with the sheets 14thereon may be slid into the housing from its right-hand end, thedistance between the floor l8 of the housing and the overhanging wallportion 20 being approximately the width of the bar 10. The side of thehousing represented by the angle member l6 provides a track for the bar,the width of the housing being just sufiicient to snugly receive the barand prongs with the free ends of the prongs just contacting the oppositeside of the housing represented by the angle member H and under theoverhanging wall portion 20 at this side of the housing. Thus this sideof the housing provides a guard for the free ends. of the prongs whichprevents spilling of the leaves I4 therefrom. Thisguarding effect isenhanced by the overhanging wall portions 20, since the movement of theleaves I4 is limited to the intermediate portions of the prongs exposed,when the fork is in the housing, by the slot 19 therein.

I will now describe the releasable detent here shown for retaining thefork in the housing. Secured centrally of the floor member l8 of thehousing, as by spot-welding 24, is a bracket 25, to which is againwelded an elongated strip of resilient metalzfi, extending toward theend of the housing partially closed by the plate 2i. The bracket 25 isdesirably set Well back from the end of the housing so as to enhance theleafspring function of the strip 25. In order to pro vide resiliency ofthe strip, in the direction of the sides of the housing, the springwhere secured to the bracket'is parallel with the sides, but as itapproaches the end of the housing, I have shown the strip 26 twisted asat 21 to be fiat, so that there may be secured thereto, as byspot-welding at 28, a transverse member 29 which acts as a detent noseto engage the lug 3U cam surface 3i on the detent nose permits the endof the bar upon the insertion thereof to cam the spring detent aside,whereupon thefurther movement of the bar in one direction is preventedby the partial closure plate 25, which thus acts as a stop, and in theother direction by the detent nose 29, which after the lug 36 has passedit, springs back into position to abut this lug longitudinally.

To release the detent, the flattened portion 2? of the strip 26 isextended outwardly beneath and beyond the plate 2i and is turned up asat 32 to form a thumb-piece by which the detent may be convenientlymanually retracted from the-lug 30, to permit withdrawal of the bar fromthe housing. I

In order that the fork may be received with but one predeterminedrelationship to the hous ing, toproperly locate the lug 3% with respectto the detent, the open or right hand end of the housing has anobstruction 33 at one side thereof which prevents thebar 10 from beingslid within this side of the housing, but does not in terierewith theprongs l2. 7

The upturned side edges I! of the bar l0 not only strengthen the bar butalso prevent scraping of other articles by the edges of the bar, the

prongs being secured to this channeled side of the bar and furtherpreventing any scraping of the edge of the bar withv any other object.The ends of the bar are also slightly turned up as at 34 for thefisamepurpose. I

An inclined The invention is not limited to details of construction hereshown for purposes of exemplification. Such changes may be made as fallwithin the scope of the following claims Without departing. from theinvention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In loose-leaf handling means, the combination with a single forkembodying a bar and a series of free-ended prongs spaced therealong, ofa channel-shape housing telescopically receiving the fork, said housingproviding a guard for the free ends of the prongs, and releasable springdetent mechanism securing said telescopic relation.

2.'In loose-leaf handling means, the combination with a single forkembodying a bar and a series of free-ended prongs spaced therealong, ofa channel-shape housing telescopically receiving the fork, said housingproviding a guard for the free ends of the prongs, and releasable detentmechanism securing said telescopic relation, the housing having apermanently fixed partial closure whereby the fork is received thereinin but one predetermined relation.

3. In loose-leaf handling means, the combination with an elongated barhaving a series of prongs fixed longitudinally thereof, of an elongatedhousing telescopically receiving the bar and prongs, said housing beingopen at one end and the other end being at least partially closed to actas a stop for the bar, a lug on the bar, a spring detent carried by theinterior of the housing normally in the path of said lug between whichdetent and said stop the lug is received to limit movement of the barwith respect to the housing, the detent having a cam surface acted uponby the bar to move the detent to permit the lug to pass in onedirection.

4. In loose-leaf handling means, the combination of a prong carryingbar, a series of prongs spaced therealong, a channel-shape housingreceiving the bar and prongs and movable relatively thereto, and springdetent mechanism releasably securing the assembled relation of theparts, said mechanism including a lug on one of the relatively movableparts and a leaf spring carried on the other relatively movable part,said leaf spring carrying a lug engaging detent nose having a camsurface thereon, said detent being adapted to be resiliently cammed awayfrom said lug upon relative movement of the bar and housing in onedirection, and a thumb-piece for manually moving the detent from saidlug to permit relative movement of the parts in the opposite direction.

5. In loose-leaf handling means, the combination with a singleforkembodying a bar and a series of free-ended prongs spaced therealong, ofa channel-shape housing telescopically receiving the fork, said housingproviding a guard for ALFRED M. MARTIN.

